Beet-harvesting machine.



C. W. ROGERS, DECD. A. v. ROGERS, ADMINISTRATRIX. BEET HARVESTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26, 1917. yniib Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C. W. ROGERS, DECD.

A. v. ROGERS. ADMINISTHATRlX. BEET HARVESTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26. I917. lfi fig fio 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

4614. fl w A L A? Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

C. W. ROGERS, DECD. A. v. ROGERS, ApmlmsmATmx. BEET HARVESTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26. 19!]. LNW MGU Patented Jan. 15,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- UNTE srars ran CHARLES W. ROGERS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSQURI; ALMIRA V. ROGERS ADMINISTRA- TRIX OF SAID CHARLES \V. ROGERS, DECEASED.

BEET-HABVESTING MACHINE.

Application filed January 26, 1917'.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ci-rARLns 1V. Roonns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beet-Harvesting Machines, of which the following is a full and exact specification.

The present invention relates to beet harvesting machinery, and one of the principal objects in View is to devise a harvester provided with improved cuttingmechanism for removing the tops from the beets as they are harvested. To this end an improved type of knife construction is provided which is operated by the movement of the machine and is formed with an entirely smooth under surface along its cutting portion so that the knife glides freely over the beets as the tops are severed.

Another object in view is to provide a beet topping mechanism having means for guiding associated with the cutting mechanism of such a character that the elevation of the cutting mechanism is automatically varied in accordance with the heights of the beets for the purpose of carrying out the operation of removing the tops in a substantially uniform manner. This guiding means also includes provision for such adjustment with relation to the cutting mechanism as will enable the operative level of the latter to be varied according to the degree of closeness with which it is desired the beets to be topped.

The invention further comprises appro priate provision for adjustment of the v: rious specified mechanisms of the machine for the purpose of changing the operative positions of the parts according to the working conditions, as well as to shift said parts conveniently into and out of operative position.

It is also anobject to devise a simple, economical and efficient construction of as few parts as may be employed for accomplishing the desired results.

Various minor objects will appear in the course of the detailed description.

With the foregoing general objects in View, the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrating one form of embodiment of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 115, 119.1%.

Serial No. 144,575.

the proposed improvements, after which those features and combinations deemed to be novel will he severally set forth and defined in the a ipended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a beet harvesting machine constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of the same, the section being taken on the line IIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the cutting member of the beet topping mechanlsm;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section through a portion of the beet topping mechanism, the section being taken on the line TVIV of Fig. 2 (but on an enlarged scale) Figs. 5 and 6 are detail sections on the lines V-V and VL-VI, respectively, of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings in detail, these illustrate the harvester as comprising the main supporting wheels 2, 3, connected by the axle 1, by which the framework of the machine is carried. Besides its function as a supporting axle, said axle 4. also serves as a drive shaft for imparting motion to the cutting or topping, and the uprooting mechanism, for which purpose one of the wheels, as 2, is provided with a clutch hub 6 for engagement by a movable clutch element 8 which is actuated by a spring '10 into normally clutched relation with said hub 6, a hand lever 12 being provided for throwing the clutch parts out of engagement when desired to disconnect the drive. The lever 12 is mounted in a bracket 1 projecting from the framework of the machine. which framework comprises, in part. the tongue 16 connected with the midpoint of the aXle i and provided with the lateral brace members 18 extending from a point adjacent the doubletree 20 to points adjacent the outer ends of said axle.

The beet topping mechanism comprises parts supported by a pivotal frame made up of the forwardly converging side members 22 connected by the cross brace rods 2% and the transverse yoke 26. The forward ends of the side members 22 are connected by a shaft 28 which journals a roller 30 and also serves as a supporting axis for one end of the X-shaped frame 32. The frame 32 extends rearward, and its rear end carries a rod 34 on which is journaled a second roller 36, the two rollers 30 and 36 being provided for the mounting of an endless belt 38 of canvas or equivalent material. This belt and roller structure forms a guiding means arranged for gliding over the beets in engagement with the tops 10 thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 2, so that the level of the cutting action will be varied in accordance with the heights of the beets. For obtaining this result the cutting mechanism 1S carried by the same framework as this guiding means, with the knife element 42 directly underlying the rear roller 36, and Pl'OVlSlOIl is made for adjusting the amount of space between said knife and roller by suspending the supporting rod 34 of said roller in a yoke 44 which is formed with a rack arm 46 cotiperating with a pinion 48 on the front end of a rod or shaft 50 which extends to the rear in proximity with the drivers seat 52 where said rod or shaft is provided with a suitable hand wheel 54.

The knife element 42 comprises a blade having a cutting edge of wave outline (see Fig. 3), the blade being reciprocably mounted at the forward edge of a deflecting member 56 which is shaped somewhat as a chute for laterally deflecting the severed tops to one side of the row of beets being harvested. The delivery end of the member 56 is secured by means of fastenings 58 to one of the side bars 22, while an arm 60 serves to connect and support said member 56 from the other side bar 22. Secured to the top face of the knife blade 42 is a plate 62 having the longitudinal shoulder 6% for abutting against the front edge of the deflecting member 56 (see Figs. 5 and 6), and to the under face of said deflecting member is secured an angular knife retaining member 66 against which are received in abutting relation the rear edges of the blade 42 and said plate 62. This retaining member 66 leaves the under face of the middle or cutting portion of the knife entirely free and unobstructed so that the knife may glide freely over the beet tubers after severing the tops therefrom; but for supporting the end portions of the knife, said retaining member is formed with the retaining fingers 68 ex tending forward beneath the knife and slid- .ingly embracing the guide strips 70 which are secured to the under faces of said end portions of the knife as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6.

For reciprocating the knife blade the same is provided with a suitable pitman connection 7 2 to a crank disk 7 4: at the forward end of a shaft 76, which shaft is journaled at its said forward end in a bearing 78 provided in the yoke 26, the rear end of said shaft being carried in a bearing bracket 80 connection 88 to one arm of a bell crank lever 90 pivoted at 92 to the tongue 16, the

other arm of said lever 90 being connected by links 93 to theeross brace rods 2& or by means of any suitable flexible connection adapted to permit the framework supporting the beet topping mechanism to have more or less vertical play with reference to the tongue 16 and the remainder of the machine, in order to conform to the irregularities in the ground level as well as in the heights of the beets as above referred to.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that a simple, eflicient and economical construction has been devised for carrying out the desired objects of the invention. The topping mechanism operates effectively to sever the tops from the beets in a uniform manner, that is, the belt and roller guiding means by engagement with the beet tops serves to present the knife at approximately the same relative level to the successive beets so that the latter may be topped right at the crowns of the tubers, or the cutting action may be caused to take place either slightly above or slightly below the level of the crowns of the beets, by proper adjustment of the rear roller 36 with relation tothe knife blade. The wave contour of the knife edge is that best adapted to operate with material of this character, and the construction whereby the under face of the middle or principal cutting portion of the blade is left entirely free and unobstructed results in. a cutting means which glides easily and freely over the topped beets without either hindrance to the blades movement or any marring of the beet tubers. The severed tops are gradually crowded back over the top surface of the deflecting member 56 and discharged to one side of the row of beets. 2L"

l/Vhile the foregoing represents what is now deemed to constitute the preferred form of embodiment of the improvements, the right is reserved to such formal changes and modifications as may fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims: 7

1. A. beet harvesting machine comprising supporting wheels, a frame carried at one of its ends by the axle of said wheels and f projecting forward therefrom, cutting mechanism carried by said frame, a pair of spaced idly mounted rollers carried by the forward end portion of said frame with the rear of said rollers in adjustable gaging relationto said cutting mechanism, and an endless belt operating idly around said rollers for engagementwith the tops of the beets.

2. In a beet harvesting machine, beet topping mechanism comprising a knife, and gaging mechanism comprising a pair of spaced idly mounted rollers in advance of said knife and With one roller in advance of the other, an endless belt operating idly around said rollers for engagement with the tops of the beets, and means for adjusting the rear of said rollers in gaging relation to said knife.

. 3. In a beet harvesting machine, beet topping mechanism comprising a knife, a pair of spaced idly mounted rollers in advance of said knife with one of said rollers in advance of the other, the rear of said rollers being mounted in gaging relation to said knife and the forward roller being mounted at a slightly higher level than said rear roller, an endless belt operating idly around said rollers for engagement with the tops of the beets, and means for adjusting the position of said rear roller with reference to said knife.

4. In a beet harvesting machine, beet topping mechanism comprising a supporting frame, cutting mechanism carried by said frame, an auxiliary frame pivotally carried by the forward end of said first frame, a pair of rollers mounted idly at the opposite ends of said auxiliary frame with one of said rollers presented in gaging relation to said cutting mechanism, an endless belt operating idly around said rollers for engagement with the tops of the beets, and means for rocking said auxiliary frame for adjusting the position of said gaging roller with reference to said cutting mechanism.

In testimony whereof I hereto aiiix my signature.

CHARLES ROGERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

